Don’t be surprised if the back of the new massive Memorial Stadium scoreboard is fitted for corkboard today. The insults dumped on the Kansas University football team in the wake of a 6-3, season-opening loss to North Dakota State are far too plentiful to fit on any bulletin board.

The latest shot to the ribs comes from an unusual source, a coach who doesn’t speak in platitudes, a coach who goes back a long way with Turner Gill, a man who could use a friend or two coming to his aid at the moment.

North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl just might be in danger of drawing a flag for piling on, not to mention telling the naked truth, frowned upon in the football coaching fraternity.

Speaking on The Sportsnetwork.com’s weekly “In the FCS Huddle” segment, Bohl shared just how unimpressed he was with KU.

“I think the environment that we're going to play in Cedar Falls (Iowa) is going to be much more of a hostile environment than Memorial Stadium in Kansas,” Bohl said. “That was pretty docile. And the type of team that we’re going to be playing is going to be a much more physical, aggressive football team than KU.”

How do you really feel, Craig?

“And, quite frankly, I think we’re going to be playing a better opponent,” Bohl continued. “I know one school is in the Big 12 and the other one is in the Missouri Valley. I think that gives an indication on how we see Missouri Valley play and the respect we give Northern Iowa.”

The Kansas football team was just called soft by a coach from a lower-division team that went 3-8 a year ago. If that doesn’t stir pride, passion, pure anger, then nothing will. Emotions can go a long way for a football team, even one in a transition phase, one that can’t decide on a quarterback, a running back, the makeup of the offensive line, one desperately searching when the calendar says it should be more concerned with destroying.

Coaching transitions in college football are tough, and when they involve going from a tough taskmaster to a more nurturing leader, the athletes sometimes breathe a sigh of relief and relax a little too much.

Trying to put his finger on what went wrong and how it can be fixed, running back/captain Angus Quigley said, “When times get rough in practice and people are fatigued, we can’t take shortcuts and maybe not run as hard and things like that. It’s the little things in practice that people might be getting away with that are carrying over into the game.”

Nobody likes to get embarrassed. The players and coaching staff were embarrassed together, which ought to draw their circle a little tighter. Athletes tend to look to coaches to lead them out of such situations, a factor that will make Gill’s words louder this week.

“They’re great guys,” Quigley said of the coaches. “They’re mentors and leaders. They’re not only trying to grow us as football players, but also as young men, and you can’t help but respect that.”

Actions speak louder than words. If Quigley and teammates respect the new coaches as much as they say, they’ll give a better effort Saturday against a terrific Georgia Tech team.

Agreed...sounds like he's calling it like it is. KU looks like they could be a truly awful team this year. I hate saying it, and I am definitely not saying this guy is classy, but he seems like he had his eyes open the whole game on Saturday...better than most KU fans could pull off!

And he is right about the MVC...one of my favorite conferences, they are usually fun to watch.

they are used to winning...last year was a down year...i think they have won a 1-AAnational championship in the last 10 years.
ku's players did not take the field last week with the necessary attitude of destroying the opposition...annihilating the opponent...kind of a pick-up game mentality.

Who gives a hoot what the other coach had to say about ku, sounds like he needs to have a better season himself. As far as our players and coaches, we should try supporting them when down also. It's a new team and coaches. Give them a season to develope. Heck at least a few more games before pointing fingers.

Lawrence through KU will demonstrate what a bush league operation it is in that the "football stadium" will not even be 1/2 full by the 3rd home game. That is....Lawrence will not be supporting the "team" because it's not winning. Way to go....

This is a mitzvah done by Bohl for his old friend. This way, Gill doesn't have to call out the team and the fans. Bohl has done it for him.

And he is correct. KU fans are the most fair weather fans I have seen. Being a hostile environment doesn't mean the fans need to be mean or nasty, just that they be loud and unrelenting in their support.

It also helps Bohl, as he needs to play up the strength of his own conference.

Sounded more like coach speak to get his players to forget about the KU game and get ready for the next. With that said, the performance of the team was horrible and the environment isn't consistently good at Memorial Stadium, especially if the game isn't going as "planned."

"Mangino would have been frothing at the mouth from shouting at his offense and motivating them. "

If the seniors don't want to play, quit. IF this is the case, and I highly doubt it, their lack of personal pride won't help the team. If a frothing coach is necessary for a team to win, they're probably not going to, anyway. In all the years of watching college football, most of the highly successful coaches rarely seem to be frothers. I'm not saying Coach Gill will be highly successful, but his style will not necessarily factor into the equation, one way or the other.

There is a solution for actually creating a good chance of winning a national championship in football at KU. First, entirely shut down the existing football program (kill it). Second, initiate a men's soccer team. Then, we will have a real shot at a national championship in football.

Gill is now down to a 2-year instead of a 3-year shot at this thing, imo. If this year tanks as bad as many people fear (2-10 or 3-9) and there is no measurable progress demonstrated next season, the new AD is going to want to have his signature hire in place by the start of the 2012 season. You can't afford in this day and age and in this conference to leave a failed regime in place for several years after everyone knows it's done (like we did with Terry Allen).

Gill was a pathetic 20-30 in the Mac East. His warm and fuzzy style may work in D2, but our program is now milk toast under this guy. This is the Big 12 and Mangino was what we needed. I blame this on our wimpy chancellor Gray-Little. The Perkins house cleaning must include her.

“When times get rough in practice and people are fatigued, we can’t take shortcuts and maybe not run as hard and things like that. It’s the little things in practice that people might be getting away with that are carrying over into the game.”

So, Angus, are you saying that this is already going on? Because if so, how bad will it be when the team is 1-9 later this season?

Good for Coach Bohl. Either he did us a favor and this team will attack GT with blind fury this weekend, or we can go away w/our tail between our legs & feel sorry for ourselves. Personally, I agree w/him.

First, I'm going to take issue with concept of KU people being fair weather fans. I bleed crimsom and blue and if I hadn't been watching the game with friends elsewhere and actually AT the game, I would have walked out. What I saw Saturday was a disgrace. Coaches offering very little leadership. Athletes offering a half-a--ed, ho hum, performance. The entire team looked like they didn't want to be there and wanted to just get it over with. No body wants to watch that. It's mighty hard to be pathetic and boring at the same time, but they surely pulled that off. Every fan can see this a take thier cue from the team they're watching. NDSU coachs' comment may have bordered on classless but, they weren't too far off the mark. If it's true the seniors (or other players) don't want to play for Gill and are tanking thier own season, that's not on the fans.

if the seniors do not want to play, get them the hell off the team. ku can go o and 12 without them, and get experience for the underclassmen. if they do not want to play, pull their grants and get them out of town.